The Tipping Point
by theelderwand1
Summary: The Prologue to Children's Crusade.  The plan is in place and the trap is about to be sprung on the last of the Renengade Death Eaters.  But the strain has begun to tell on Harry.  Can Ron help pull his best mate through to the end?
1. Walking The Tightrope

"He's…tired, Hermione. That's all."

"It's more than that, love."

Hermione's bushy hair spread out over Ron's bare chest as the two lay in front of the grate at their flat, staring into the flames. Ron's head was propped up on some cushions that had been knocked off the sofa during their rather intense session of lovemaking. Hermione's head rested comfortably on his shoulder. Their clothing was strewn all over the sitting room.

Ron sighed, heavily. "We just need to get through the next two weeks. Once we spring the trap everything will be fine. So will he."

Hermione shifted, looking up into Ron's deep blue eyes as the fire cast ominous shadows on the walls. "We spent four hours today talking about the wand problem. He's obsessing over it."

"Obsessing is kind of a strong word," Ron said, absent-mindedly running a hand through Hermione's hair. "Wand-lock is becoming far too common. Too many wands out there with cores from the same source. He's just concerned, is all."

At Harry's request, Hermione had been trying to suss out why nearly every recent encounter with the Death Eaters seemed to result in at least one Auror's wand locking with a dark wizard's. Months ago, not long after the problem had arisen, she'd shared with them what her research disclosed. Wand-locks would never be as severe as Harry's had been with Riddle because the connection they shared was so unique. However, if the timing was right with the exchange of curses, twin cores would still result in locked wands. The only wand that was immune to the problem was Harry's; there was only one wand in the realm that had at its core a feather from Fawkes.

All of her research helped lead to her discovery of the value of crossed-wand spells. But what she'd found out more recently, through investigation as opposed to research, was much more helpful and more disheartening. "He should be worried. It's not just bad luck that this has been happening. You were right."

Ron cringed at the comment. "As much as I love hearing you say that I'm right, I was hoping you'd prove me wrong." He'd been the first to suggest that it was likely the Death Eaters had used one of their sources inside the Ministry to find out the make-up of each Auror's wand's core and then to have duplicates made. As a matter of strategy it made infinite sense. In mass combat, a wizard with a locked wand was an easy target. As the Death Eaters still outnumbered the Aurors, such an advantage would easily shift the balance in their favor. "Still, Harry's been drilling the teams repeatedly for months about spell-timing to avoid wand-lock. He's almost…" Ron trailed off.

"You were about to say _obsessing_, weren't you?"

Ron mentally kicked himself. _That's what you get for proposing to the brightest witch of the age._ "Can't blame him, especially after what happened to Alicia Spinnet last night." Her wand had locked with a Death Eater; she was blind-sided by a _Confringo_ hex before she could break free. She would recover, but she'd have a very long stay at St. Mungo's first.

Hermione continued. "As bad as that was, there's still more that's bothering him. He all but grilled me over wand lore this morning." Hermione left unsaid the hours of research she'd put into the subject once Bellatrix's wand had claimed her shortly after her death.

Ron contemplated whether this was the right time to ask about his fiancé's choice of wands, then thought better of it. "Look, he just needs this over…We all do." He broke eye contact as he finished, staring off into the fire.

She gently traced his jaw with her fingertips. "I know it's been weighing on you, too. I'm not blind."

Ron looked down at his fiancée; he was about to protest and deny the obvious, but one look at her beautiful face drenched with worry broke down his defenses. "Hermione…I'd be lying to you if I said it's been easy."

"And I'd hex your bits off if you did." She let a small smile spread across her face as she snuggled back into his shoulder. "Just keep an eye on him. You're still planning on practicing with him tomorrow at the Burrow?"

"Yeah, just the two of us, bright and early. He's cooked up something new he wants to work on." Ron caressed her back. "I'll take care of him. Don't worry." Then a devilish smile covered his face. "Now, can we go back to skiving off work for awhile?"

"You sure you can take it, Auror Weasley?" she asked, seductively.

"Try me, Madam Undersecretary." He rolled over on top of her as she giggled.

A shout from the fireplace broke the romantic moment. "Oi! Can't you two use a bedroom like normal people?"

"Sweet Merlin!" Ron screamed as Hermione squeaked, pulling a blanket over them. Then they both peered into the flames to see Ginny's face grimacing back at them.

Ron shook his head. "_Normal_ people usually don't call at this hour!"

"Fair enough; but you know our family's not normal. Besides, this is important."

Hermione gathered the blanket up around her. "What's wrong?"

"It's Harry. What else?" she said.

Hermione nodded knowingly.

"He's not home yet." Ginny shook her head. "Told me he'd be working late. I didn't want to pry into his thoughts, but I know something's eating at him."

Ron furrowed his brow. "We were just talking about it. I hadn't seen him much today, some kind of project about the wand-lock. He grilled Hermione for awhile about it. Probably best to leave him be, Gin. I'm gonna see him tomorrow."

It was Ginny's turn to frown. "Ron, he's…" she trailed off as her eyes slid out of focus. Ron and Hermione kept their silence. They knew the telltale signs of when Harry and Ginny were in the middle of one of their internal conversations through their bond.

When they realized the conversation was over, Hermione asked, "Everything okay?"

Ginny nodded, "I think so. But he's in full-blown obsessive mode. At least he's talking to me. I better go."

Hermione nodded. "Floo us back if you need us."

HpHpHp

Harry's boots made hollow echoing noises through the dank corridors of Azkaban. Behind him, in silence, Warden Richard Campbell-Shaw followed. The Warden had gotten to know the Golden Quartet fairly well over the years. In fact, he knew Harry well enough to realize that he was deeply troubled. It was for that reason the warden had not been overly inquisitive when the young Auror had arrived alone at the prison well after midnight, asking to interview a prisoner.

Years before, the dreaded jail had been filled with the moans of the condemned and the horrible chill of Dementors patrolling the halls. The new Minister had changed all that. With the removal of the Dementors following the Battle of Hogwarts, only the occasional muffled sob of an inmate or the clanging of metal doors broke the evening quiet.

Even with the Dementors' removal, Azkaban was far from pleasant. The sharp, salty sting of the sea air forever would lend a dreadful quality to the fortress. Poorly lit, the shadows from the few torches that illuminated the cellblocks cast a deathly pall over all who were doomed to be its residents.

From their cells, the prisoners cast glares at the Auror and the Warden as they passed them by. The emotions conveyed by the inmates' stares were as varied as the prisoners themselves. A look of abject loathing from one cell would quickly be replaced with one of fearful resignation from the next. More than a third of the inmates were here due to the _de facto_ Head Auror, in one way or another.

Here was a Ministry functionary convicted of bribery, there, a wizard who'd murdered his entire family and later claimed to be Imperiused. Harry kept his eyes forward, completely focused on the task at hand. His interest was in the high security cells, where Death Eaters and collaborators were kept.

The two wizards continued on until the corridor dead-ended. The Warden hefted his wand and with a non-verbal spell, the wall vanished. Before he continued through the newly-conjured entrance, a firm grasp on his elbow stopped him.

"I'm going in alone."

Campbell-Shaw's head snapped around. "Auror Potter, you know the protocols. You can't go in by yourself. Someone else has to…"

"Warden, you don't need to quote me chapter and verse."

He sighed, heavily. "Harry, please. You know I can't let you do that. If the information's that sensitive, why didn't you bring Ron with you as your second?"

"Rich, he hasn't seen 'Mione away from the Ministry for weeks. This is the first night they've both had off at the same time since they got engaged."

"And what about you and Ginevra? I'll bet you haven't seen her more than in passing since you put that ring on her finger. Tell me I'm wrong."

Harry didn't answer.

The warden just shook his head. "I'll stay out of earshot. You won't even know I'm there."

Harry fixed the Warden with an impassive, stubborn gaze.

Campbell-Shaw met his eyes for a moment, then took off his pince-nez glasses, shaking his head in resignation. "Fifteen minutes. That's all."

Harry nodded and passed through the entrance. The cell he wanted was secluded at the end of the hall. He cast a non-verbal _Muffliato_ before conjuring a chair and sitting facing the bars.

The prisoner lying on his bunk stirred only slightly, lifting his head to get a better look at his visitor. "You?"

Harry didn't acknowledge the question, but continued to stare intently into the eyes of the man he should've killed for his treachery. Slowly, he began to twirl his Phoenix-Feather wand between his fingers.

"Potter, why'd you come? You've already gotten everything out of me you're going to. Just leave me be."

Veritaserum hadn't worked nearly as well as Harry had hoped when he'd first questioned the traitor almost two years earlier after the Battle of the Pitch. Sterner measures, such as Legilimency or, as Ron had repeatedly suggested, _Crucio_, had been ruled off limits by Kingsley.

"Have I, Zack? Or is there something you've been keeping from me?" Harry asked, coldly. He continued to twirl his wand in his right hand; Zacharias Smith's eyes nervously locked on the movement.

There was a note of fear in Smith's voice. "Where's Weasley?"

"He's got the night off." Harry's wand began to twirl faster.

"Can't touch me, Potter. You know that you can't!" Smith began to push himself farther into the corner of his cell.

Harry's only reply was to cease twirling his wand. When he did, it was pointed directly at Smith.

"Can't!" He shouted, again, his eyes never leaving Harry's wand.

Harry began to slowly twirl his wand again. "Mesmerizing, isn't it?"

Smith began to shake.

"It has a twin. I think you've seen it before, haven't you?"

Slowly, the inmate nodded.

When Harry again stopped twirling his wand, Smith cringed.

Harry let out a breath. "You've still got 20 years to do in this place. It should've been more…But I can make it less. That is, if you finally pick the right side for a change."

For the first time, Zacharias' eyes left the wand and fixed on the wizard, instead. "R-really?"

"Tell me what I want to know and I'll get your sentence reduced by five."

"T-ten," the inmate stammered.

Harry began to twirl his wand again. "Three."

Smith nervously licked his lips, his eyes once again drawn to Harry's wand. He nodded.

"You'll consent to Legilimency." It wasn't a question.

Again, Smith nodded and again Harry's wand stopped twirling. He conjured a quill and parchment nonverbally and levitated it into the cell. "Sign it."

Smith didn't bother to read it before scribbling his name. The moment he did, it flew back through the bars into Harry's hand and disappeared into his purple Auror's robes.

"Legilimens!"

Harry descended into Smith's mind, memories washing past. It didn't take long before he found what he was looking for. Two years ago, late August 2000, the Ministry…

_Smith was sitting in the DMLE wardroom, playing cards with his partner, Guy Jansen, and the two other Troopers who had been unlucky enough to pull the night shift on a Friday._

"C'mon, Jansen. We don't have all night!" Smith spat.

"I'm weighing my options," he replied.

"Well, weigh them faster."

Jansen scowled at Smith as he discarded. "Zack, you're a real prize. D'you know that?"

"Then get a transfer."

Jansen just shook his head. That's when the Floo to their left erupted with a message: "There's a fire in the Archives! Get there immediately!"

_The four rose from their chairs and dashed out into the hall. Before they reached the stairs, they ran into Dennis Creevey, levitating several unconscious Death Eaters. "Fire's under control, but it won't stay that way unless you get there soon. Hurry!"_

"_Yessir!" Jansen answered, as the four made their way to the stairwell. They passed Harry and Ginny on their way down._

_Jansen grabbed the door that was still warm to the touch. "Ready?" he asked._

_The three Troopers nodded. Jansen forced it open, causing a huge gust of air to be sucked in. Immediately, water shot from their wands keeping the backdraft from consuming them. Once the air and the flames settled the four Troopers slowly moved into the room, dousing the flames._

"_Zack, take the right side. Clive, you and Ian take the left."_

_Smith bristled at the order, but he obeyed. Jansen was his senior by three months. Cautiously, Zack began to push through the debris when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. __Accio. __The wand leapt into his hand; he hid it in his robes as he continued to battle the fire. None of his team members noticed._

Harry broke the spell, eyeing Smith. "Flames never touched it?"

"N-no. I-it got doused with something that wouldn't burn. Probably some kind of potion that was on the shelves when they collapsed."

Harry closed his eyes. _Dammit._ "What else do you know, Smith?"

The former Trooper nervously shook his head. "No, Potter. I've given you enough. They can still get to me in here."

"Zack, we have a deal."

Smith just shook his head.

"Fine." Harry hefted his wand and murmured the incantation. Smith was resisting, but Harry finally managed to force his way through his defenses. He skipped through Zack's memories until he found what he was looking for. Early September 2000, Appleby…

_Nervously, Smith shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Overhead, the Harpies and the Arrows buzzed around each other like angry wasps._

"_Great day for it, yeah?" Jansen asked Smith as he took a moment from scanning the stands to just enjoy the Quidditch match._

"_Yeah," Smith replied uneasily. Then he checked his watch. With a less than steady hand, his wand rose to his partner._

"_Zack, what are you…"_

"Stop!" Smith moaned.

Harry ceased the spell. "Hurts seeing the partner you betrayed, does it?"

Smith nodded; his whole body was shaking.

"He had a family. You met his wife, didn't you? Eighteen-month-old baby boy, too." Harry added.

Zack couldn't speak.

Harry was tempted to raise his wand and continue despite the risk and pain involved in a prolonged, forced Legilimens. Then he heard Ginny in his mind:

_Harry! He's had enough! It worked just like we planned. Now, let him talk. It's safer for you both this way. _

_I want this war over, Gin. I need to be sure. And he deserves worse._

_That may be so. But, I won't let you lose yourself in the process of punishing the git. Let it go for now, love. Save it for the fight that's coming. He'll be honest from here out. Don't become the thing you despise._

"Remorse, Zack," Harry sighed. "It's the only thing that can save you now. It's also the last advice I gave Riddle. You would've known that if you stayed for the Battle of Hogwarts."

Clutching his knees to his chest, Smith nodded. He'd begun to sob. "Just…just don't make me relive it. I-I'll tell you everything. Just don't do that again!"

Harry's stern frown softened only slightly. "Alright. But the first time I get the feeling you're not telling me the truth, I'm gonna hold you to the letter of our agreement. It'll be back to Legilimency." Harry could feel Ginny frown at the warning, but he pressed on. "Understand?"

Smith nodded as he wiped his cheek on his sleeve.

"Talk."

_AN: I do owe an inspirational nod to Helen Jane Long and her wonderful album, "Embers,"(BLE Records, 2010) which I listened to exclusively while I wrote this tale. I always write to music and Ms. Long proved vital to my muse. I highly recommend her song "To Dust." _

_Thanks for reading!_

_Eldy_


	2. Locked Wands

"You're here early," Ron said through a yawn. Diagon Alley hadn't really begun to stir, yet.

"Lot to do today." Harry stood in front of Ollivander's, dressed in his Auror's robes and Armor. Ron, likewise had donned his full kit, at Harry's direction.

"Why didn't we just meet at the Burrow? We're practicing today, yeah?"

Harry nodded. "Something we need to get first."

"New wands? Thanks, but mine works just fine." Ron motioned to the wand in the clutch on his left forearm; he'd gotten it nearly four years ago before they both began Auror training with Kingsley.

Harry smiled. "Trust me."

"Now why does _that_ make me nervous?"

Harry clapped a hand on Ron's back and guided him into the shop.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, a pleasure to see you," the wand maker's smile couldn't quite hide the fatigue etched into his face.

"Thank you, sir," Harry responded. "Do you have what I asked for?"

"Yes. But it took the better part of the last two days. I only just finished." He very gently, almost lovingly, placed six wands on the counter in front of them.

"You made all of these in two days?" Ron asked, in shocked amazement.

"Yes," he said with an air of pride. "Based on what I know about your present wands, I used hair from the mane of a Manticore. Exceptionally difficult to acquire and nearly impossible to work with." He got a very far away look in his eyes. "But, it should get the job done, yes, quite plausible…" He seemed to trail off in mid-thought.

"Blimey," was all Ron could manage.

Ollivander hardly heard him. "Now, the wood varies. Elm, Yew and Oak, were what I chose." Then he seemed to peer off into the distance again. "The Elm, I believe will be our best chance of a pair that is a compatible match."

"A match?" Ron asked, his eyebrows shooting upwards.

For the first time, Mr. Ollivander seemed to realize Ron was standing in front of him. "Your wands will need to be identical for what Mr. Potter has in mind."

"They will?"

"Of course."

"A moment, please, sir?" Ron asked the wand maker, who only nodded in response. Then the red-haired Auror took his partner aside, out of earshot. He leaned into Harry. "Mate, a question?"

The raven-haired wizard smiled. "Sure."

"What the bloody hell are you up to?"

"We need backup wands, mate. Constant vigilance, remember?" He finished with a smirk.

Ron looked skeptical. "And why do they need to be identical?"

"So they can lock."

"Of course. I should've realized that. _So they can lock_. Brilliant. Tell me, have you finally gone completely mental?"

"Probably."

"Glad to hear it. Now, try that again, please? Very slowly."

"We can't practice an anti-wand-locking spell without wands that will lock, now can we?"

"You've come up with an anti-wand-locking spell?"

Harry nodded.

Ron was clinging to one vain hope. "Please, tell me Hermione helped."

"She did…Well, sort of."

"_Sort of?_ And you want to try it out on me, with a wand that a sleep-deprived nutter just made?"

Harry, who had been grinning up to this point, turned deathly serious. He dropped his voice even lower. "Yaxley has Riddle's old wand."

"Bloody hell!" Ron shouted.

"Gentlemen?" Mr. Ollivander asked. "Everything alright?"

"Fine, sir," Harry responded. "We'll just be a minute more."

Ron took a deep breath, calming himself. Then he hissed, "How? How the bloody hell did that git get it! It burned to a crisp in the Archive fire!"

"No, mate. Zack found it."

"Smith? That…"

Harry cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Look, let's just get the wands and I'll tell you everything at the Burrow."

"Wait!" Ron hissed again. "How can you be so sure he has it?"

Harry hesitated, his eyes going dark. "The night Alicia got hurt…"

Ron rested a supportive hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's alright, brother. Go on."

Harry took a breath. "My wand nearly locked with his. It took all I had to keep it from happening. But it served his purpose. I just wasn't ready for it." He hung his head. "I couldn't break free quick enough to shield for her before…"

Ron squeezed Harry's shoulder tighter. "Not your fault, brother. It's okay."

"Gentlemen?" Ollivander asked, again.

Ron didn't break his grip on Harry's shoulder, as he tried to will his strength to him. He turned to Ollivander. "We're ready, sir. Let's see which pair works, yeah?" Gently he guided Harry back to the counter.

HpHpHp

"It's not your fault. We can't be everywhere at once. We try. Merlin knows we do; but we're not gods," Ron said. "The job's dangerous. Alicia knew that going in. And, don't forget, she's gonna be fine."

The two Aurors sat near the pond at the Burrow. Ron thought it best if they had a chance to talk before they let his Mum know they were there for practice; Arthur was already at the Ministry, putting in some extra hours.

Harry stared off into the distance. "Brother, I'm about played out. If it weren't for Ginny last night…"

Ron tried to hide his concern by skipping a stone across the pond. Harry had told him about how he'd dealt with Smith. Although Ron knew the git deserved what he got, it wasn't like Harry to be so…cold. Ron shook it off. "I can't fault you. I would've done the same. Hell, I wanted to do worse. You know that."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Weasley the _Crucio_ king."

"I'd still do it, too. Gladly. That bastard got off easy."

Slowly, Harry nodded.

"We're almost there, mate. We spring the trap next week and we're done."

"I sure as hell hope so." Harry sighed. Then he turned to his partner, a small smile spreading across his face. "Thanks."

"No problem." Ron smiled. "I'd rather us talk this stuff through than deal with one of those silent broods you used to torture us with."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "You make me sound like a nutter."

"Your words, not mine."

"Ponce!" Harry said through his smile.

"That's '_Danger _Ponce' to you, Reckless Git!" Ron smiled back.

"We're gonna be stuck with those bloody nicknames for the rest of our lives, aren't we?"

"Unless you have a way to control the girls short of _Imperio_, I think we're doomed."

"Brilliant."

They shared a laugh. Ron was glad to see that his best mate seemed to have returned to his old self. "So, you gonna tell me how Arsely got Riddle's old wand? And how he's managed to master it?"

Harry was clearly angry about it, but seemed to take it in stride now. His talk with Ron had helped ease his guilt and worry. "Well, I told you Zack found it in the Archives. He'd been slipping the Death Eaters information for ages, playing both sides against the other. Once Yaxley escaped, he decided it was time to choose sides, permanently."

"Git really should've been a Slytherin," Ron spat.

"No doubt," Harry continued. "He made contact with Dolohov. But Zack wasn't completely trusting. He refused to turn the wand over before the Battle of the Pitch and the Death Eaters weren't really willing to trust Zack either, until he made a show of good faith."

Ron nodded. "He had to sell his partner out. And us."

"Problem was, they didn't count on him getting captured."

"Breaks my heart," Ron added with a smirk.

"Zack put the wand in his vault at Gringotts, for safekeeping. It's been there for the past two years."

"So how'd they finally get access to his vault?"

"Remember that Portkey Yaxley used to escape from the warehouse?"

"The warehouse you collapsed around our ears? No, don't remember it at all," Ron said, cheekily.

Harry smirked at his best mate, cuffing him on the shoulder. "Only way to get us out. Get over it."

"My partner collapses a building on me and I'm supposed to just get over it. The things I forgive…"

Harry shook his head, ignoring the comment. "That Portkey wasn't just a Portkey."

Ron cocked his head. "It was Zack's vault key, wasn't it?"

Harry nodded. "The Death Eaters stole it from his flat. Yaxley came back to England for the sole purpose of getting it. They turned it into a Portkey as a security measure, just in case things went sour. They knew we were on to them. We've been thorough, but they still have eyes and ears everywhere."

Ron shook his head. "Even so, I'm guessing we've been such a pain in Yaxley's arse he wasn't able to get the wand until recently?"

Harry nodded. "Last week."

"Mate? How'd you find this out?"

"Who knows all the 'prime, Grade A, unadulterated, straight-from-the-source skinny?'"

"Oh, crap! Bryce!"

"Right in one. Besides, he owed us for letting him off the hook for that counterfeit Tentacula."

Ron couldn't hide his smile. "You were busy yesterday."

Harry just shrugged. "Gotta earn my pay."

Ron laughed. Then he fell silent. He took a breath as he turned to his best mate. "Hermione told me you put her through her NEWTS in wand lore."

Harry's good-natured smile faltered, if only slightly. Ron saw his partner's features fall, but charged on. "You still haven't said how Yaxley mastered the wand?"

The raven-haired wizard took a deep breath as he continued. "King told me that Riddle's old wand was found during the searches and mopping-up operations after the Battle of Hogwarts. The problem is the records don't show _where_ it was found. However, we do know that Riddle didn't trade wands with Lucius." Harry sighed. "Smith filled in the missing pieces. Dolohov told him that Riddle had entrusted his old wand to Yaxley."

Ron's brow furrowed. "Why not Snape or that bitch LeStrange?"

"I'm at a loss," Harry said. "I was hoping you could tell me."

Ron pondered it for a moment. "Well, from what Hermione's put on my reading list, it seems that most people like Riddle are always suspicious of their followers and prefer at least some level of infighting and mistrust among their minions. Keeps them from rising up against their leader. Most likely, Riddle didn't want to heap too many accolades on any single person. LeStrange was still in disgrace after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries; however, Snape was riding high." Ron left unsaid the reason for that, much to Harry's relief. "Riddle probably didn't want to overly praise him with such an 'honor.' So, yeah mate, Yaxley makes sense. He was head of DMLE at the time, so he had to be well within Riddle's favor, even if he wasn't a 'golden boy' like the greasy git."

Harry could only shake his head in awe. "And yet you barely made it through Hogwarts. Mate, when you say things like that, I wonder if Hermione really is the brains in your relationship."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Please, I'm just a simple git who plays chess fairly well; that's all."

Harry rested his hand on Ron's shoulder. "If we do manage to live through this Guerilla War, it'll be because of you, brother. When the Death Eaters made you Undesirable Number Two, they underestimated you."

Ron really didn't know what to say to that, so he ignored it. "Back to the point; wouldn't it have changed loyalties once you disarmed Malfoy, like the Elder Wand did?"

"Not necessarily," Harry answered. "From what Hermione told me, murdering a wand's master…"

"You didn't 'murder' Riddle, Harry," Ron interrupted.

"Don't mince words."

"I'm not," Ron answered somberly. "You don't 'murder' a mad dog. You 'put him down.' It's a mercy. It's also justice." Ron turned on Harry, a fierce look in his eyes. "What Mum did to that bitch LeStrange, what you did to Riddle, what I did to Rowle and what Hermione did to Greyback…there's no guilt in it. Ever."

Harry sighed and slowly nodded. _Leave it to that Weasley wisdom to make sense of the world._ It amazed Harry how much alike Ron and his sister were when it came to this kind of thing. He let the thought pass as he continued. "A wand always needs a master. It's just in its nature. If it's lost in a duel it will cling to the victor. But, when a wand's Magus dies, it becomes much more willing to adhere to whoever possesses it at the time if there's no claim to it that's stronger. When the owner entrusts a wand to another Magus, and then dies, it almost becomes like a bequest. As far as I've been able to figure it from what 'Mione told me, when Riddle entrusted his wand to Yaxley it worked as a buffer that prevented me from mastering it, even though Riddle had acquired the Elder Wand before I properly claimed it and…'put him down..' I think Yaxley had some idea that he could master it, but wasn't sure until recently. That's why he wasn't using it when we dueled in the Archives. Anyway, he knows now. And so do I. In a situation like this, the wand will cling to whoever last truly possessed it, as long as they're compatible, on some level. Apparently, Yaxley's compatible."

That seemed to strike Ron harder than Harry would've thought likely. But then, he realized that his best mate was obviously contemplating his fiancée's wand. Harry fixed his eyes on his red-haired brother. "You still haven't asked Hermione about why she kept LeStrange's wand, have you?"

Ron shook his head. "No, mate, I haven't."

"Why not?"

Ron shifted around, uncomfortably. "Well, at first, I was just too gobsmacked by it, but I knew she didn't want to talk about it, so I let it go. As time went by, I could tell how well it worked for her, even though I wasn't sure why, until now." He shook his head. "I also knew she was purposely waiting for me to ask. After that…Dunno. I guess it's just a throwback to how we used to treat each other. Don't wanna give her the satisfaction of asking."

Harry couldn't hide his befuddled grin. "Gin thinks you two will make a fine couple, if you don't kill each other first. Did you know that?"

Ron snorted. "No, I didn't. But it doesn't surprise me…I love Hermione, mate. You know that. But I plan on saving the wand question for the right moment. I'll ask her about it when I know I really need to buy some time to deal with a first rate cock-up."

"You two are hopeless."

Ron shot Harry a smile. "It took you this long to figure that out? Some Auror you are."

Harry laughed. "Well, this Auror's hungry. How's about we let your mum make us breakfast before I try to kill you with my new spell."

"With an offer like that…"

The two Aurors walked the rest of the way up to the kitchen door of the Burrow.

HpHpHp

"Molly, I really can't eat another bite," Harry protested as she put more eggs on his plate. He was on his third helping; Ron was on his fourth.

"You're practicing this morning, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am," Harry responded.

"Then you have to eat. Don't argue."

Ron just shook his head as Harry smiled. "Yes, Molly."

"That's better." She patted him on the head.

"Harry's thought up a new spell we're gonna work on. I'm his practice dummy," Ron said through a full mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

Ron swallowed. "Sorry."

Molly just shook her head. "Practice dummy? Order of Merlin First Class, a celebrated Auror, and today you're a…"

"Target," Ron finished.

Molly looked at the two Aurors and bit her lip.

Harry set down his fork. "Hermione helped with the spell, so it shouldn't be a problem, Molly. I promise."

She shook her head, knowing that, at this stage of their lives trying to dissuade them would get her no where. "Just the same, I'll have my emergency Portkey to St. Mungo's on the counter."

"Thanks, Molly," Harry said.

"And, Harry dear, you and Ginny are engaged now, so…" She hesitated for just a moment. "If you'd like to, I'd be pleased if you called me _Mum_."

Harry stopped mid-bite.

Molly's breath caught. "If you're uncomfortable with that, I completely understand. I never meant to suggest I'd replace you're mother, it's just I had this same talk with Hermione a few days ago and…"

"Mum," Harry interrupted, "I…" He came out of his chair and hugged her, fiercely.

Ron grinned at them. "I think he's okay with it."

Molly shot a watery smile at Ron as she patted Harry's back. Then they broke apart. She stood and turned quickly to the stove, trying to hide that she was dabbing at her eyes with her apron.


	3. End in Sight

"_Stupefy!_"

Ron caught the spell with his shield and instantly felt his new wand try to lock with Harry's. Ollivander had been right. The Elm wands were compatible with both Aurors.

Ron had to fight his instincts to prevent his wand from locking. After the initial jolt, he eased his _Protego_. The result was a gold band of energy connecting both wands.

"Ready?" Harry shouted to his partner.

"No. Do it anyway." Ron cringed, anticipating what was about to come next.

Harry crossed his Phoenix Feather wand with his new one. Then he yelled "_Disgorgio!_"

A white hot bolt of lightning shot up the energy stream connecting both wands. With a thunderous crash, Ron went careening backwards, smacking the ground with a meaty thud.

"Ron!" Harry sprinted to his best mate in a panic.

Slowly, the red-haired Auror got back to his feet, just as Harry reached him. "Well, it hurts. I can tell you that much," Ron said, weakly.

"You okay?" Harry's voice was full of concern as he steadied him.

"Brilliant," Ron answered, sarcastically.

"Dammit, Weasley, I'm serious!"

Ron rested his hand on Harry's shoulder. He hadn't seen him this worked up in a while. "Easy, brother. I'm fine, okay?" He shot him a reassuring smile.

Harry seemed to settle at that.

"C'mon," Ron said, motioning for Harry to sit on a nearby felled tree. "You gotta tell me how you came up with that."

Harry took a breath and launched into it. "I got the idea from Hermione's crossed-wand spell. It seemed to me that if two wizards can cross their wands and increase a spell's power, why couldn't one wizard do the same?"

Ron smiled. "I like it. But you risk draining your magical core doing it, don't you?"

Harry nodded. "That's what I needed to find out. It took a bit out of me, but I'm okay. I'm guessing that the stronger the curse, the more energy _Disgorgio_ needs. Using it to break a lock from a _Reducto_ or an _Expulso_ will probably be tougher, but I don't think it's wise for us to practice those."

"You think?" Ron asked, with a cocked brow. "Anyway, how'd you come up with the incantation?"

"Hermione, again. She didn't quite know what I was getting at when I asked her about it. What I wanted was more of a command to the wand, rather than an incantation. She suggested _Disgorgio_. It seems to work."

"You could say that," Ron responded, rubbing his sore back. "Since it's a command, instead of an incantation, do you really need a second wand to cast it?"

Harry thought about it for a moment. "Dunno. But it's an interesting point."

"Anyway, the spell-timing defense has worked pretty well for us, for the most part. You don't have to let your wand lock with Yaxley's if you don't want to. So, why all the trouble with the new spell?"

Harry didn't answer right away.

"Potter, we've been over this in every training session for the past three months. _Don't let your wands lock._ I hear it in my sleep, for Merlin's sake."

Harry shook his head. "You're right, but I want options. Besides, I'm not sure how strong the lock could get with Yaxley."

Ron wasn't satisfied by the answer, but let it pass. "Alright." He stood and paced off 10 yards from Harry. "Now, since we've got these wicked new toys, there's something I've always wanted to try." A grin worthy of George crossed his face as he drew both his wands. "Get ready for an arse-kicking, Four eyes."

"Bring it on, Carrot Top!" Harry smiled back as he drew both of his.

Ron didn't bother with a salute before he loosed _Expulsos_ from both his wands.

Harry's shield was up in a flash. He grunted from the effort of shielding both spells with his old wand as he simultaneously turned on the spot, using his other to DisApparate.

He appeared behind Ron and loosed a stunner aimed right between his shoulder blades.

Ron parried it behind his back with his new wand. Spinning, he hurled a _Bombarda_ with his other.

Harry caught the curse deftly and, rapid-fire, loosed a two-fisted barrage of stunners at his best mate.

Ron blocked them all, though his new wand pulled strongly toward Harry's, threatening to lock once more.

"Try it again!" Ron shouted.

"You sure?"

Ron nodded, as he let his wand lock with his partners'.

"_Disgorgio!_"

Again, lightning shot up the energy stream between the two wands. At the last possible moment, Ron brought his main wand up, casting _Protego_ to shield himself from the blast he knew was coming.

A deafening explosion rocked the pitch near the orchard, once again knocking Ron off his feet. But this time the impact was much less severe. Ron came up panting. "Bloody wicked!'

Harry's grin was a mile wide, once he realized his best mate was alright. "Brilliant!"

They closed the distance to each other, shook hands and collapsed, out of breath.

Ron was all smiles. "Always wanted to fight with two wands. But it's exhausting."

Harry nodded. "That was a great idea. It'll take some getting used to, but we'll get stronger." Then he shot a grin at his best mate. "Another round?"

Ron smiled. "Absolutely!"

HpHpHpHp

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, you are a mess." Hermione frowned as she took in the bruises and scrapes that covered her fiancé's body from head to toe.

Ron's voice was muffled by the pillow. "You should see the other guy."

She'd stripped him out of his filthy Auror's robes and shuffled him into the bedroom as soon as he Apparated home. He'd immediately told her about Yaxley having Riddle's old wand and Harry's new anti-wand locking spell. She took the news in stride; she'd puzzled it out on her own earlier in the day based on what she already knew. Though it worried her, her primary concern was the bruised and battered Auror that was now laying spread eagle on their bed, unable to move. She was kneeling next to him.

Hermione had laid in a large supply of enchanted muscle ointment just for these occasions. She poured it on her hands and began to knead his back. "How's that?"

"Mmm, ahhh, oww, mmm," was Ron's only reply.

Hermione just shook her head. "I hope you enjoyed yourselves."

"It, mmm, was, ahh good, mmm, practice."

"Well, don't get too comfortable. You stink. As soon as you can walk I'm putting you in the tub."

"Mmmhmm."

She began to work down his back.

"Oww!"

"Sorry. You okay?"

"Yeah. Don't stop. Gotta work that…OWW!"

Hermione kept kneading. "Hold on, I've just about…" There was a loud "pop," and Ron went limp.

"Ahhh…Thanks," he moaned.

"At what point did you stop practicing his new spell and just decide to try and kill each other?" She asked.

Ron laughed. "It was bloody wicked. We were both dueling with two wands. 'Mione, you'll love it."

_Boys and their toys_. "I'm sure I will." She took a breath and changed the subject. "There was more to Harry's mood than Alicia Spinnet and Riddle's old wand, I'm guessing."

Ron sighed. "Yeah, there is."

"Can you share? Or is this a _wizard's only_ thing?"

Very gingerly, Ron rolled over to face his fiancée. He paused as he tried to figure out whether he should get into Harry's meeting with Smith. "I think I have to tell you."

Worry creased Hermione's brow. "What is it?"

"He's…" Ron shook his head as he struggled to find the right word. "Tired."

Hermione sighed. "That's what you told me last night!"

Ron took Hermione's hand in his. "Well, it's more than that. Maybe, _worn_ is a better word." He frowned, frustrated that he couldn't quite convey what he saw in Harry's eyes when he told Ron about his encounter with Smith. Ron took a deep breath and relayed everything he knew. When he finished, Hermione's eyes had gone wide. "I…I don't know how much longer he can do this, love. The war has to end. The bloody plan has to work."

Hermione gently stroked Ron's cheek and tried to suppress her own worry. "It _will_ work. You know I'm not thrilled with it, but it is…brilliant."

Ron laughed, sardonically. "And she actually said that with _no_ tone of surprise."

Hermione frowned at her fiancé. "You know how impressed I am with your tactics." Then she smiled. "Your brainy side is really sexy."

"Thanks, love," he said, gently. "Well, it feels like it's all been leading up to this. We've reached the tipping point. It's now or never."

Hermione nodded. "We'll get through it like we always do. Just keep an eye on him and I'll do the same." She sighed. "I don't think there's much else we can do." Then she got out of bed, pulling Ron with her. "C'mon. Bath for you."

Ron let her lead him to the loo. But one last thought flitted through his mind before he could fully lose himself in his fiancee's gentle caresses. _We may be at the tipping point, but how much longer before Harry finally reaches his breaking point?_

Fin.

_AN: And that, folks, is the last word before "Children's Crusade," which is posting now (August 4, 2011). A timeline is included below._

_Thanks for reading!_

_Eldy_

_Crusadiverse Timeline:_

_1996 – Fall – "More Skill Than Luck" – one shot - posted_

_1998 – July – "Hermione's Wand" – one shot - posted_

_1999- August – "Journey of a Thousand Miles" – one shot - posted_

_2000 – August – "The Battle of the Pitch" (main story line) – short story – posted_

_2000 – November – "The Adventures of Reckless Git and Danger Ponce" – short story – posted_

_2002 – Spring – "The Proposal" – short story, which now includes as its prologue "Best Laid Plans," formerly a one-shot – posted._

_2002 – Early Summer – "The Tipping Point" – short story – posted._

_2002 – Summer – "Children's Crusade"- novel – sequel to "Stop All The Clocks" – Posting now!_

_2003 – December – "The Gift"- one shot - not yet posted_

_2004 – May – "The Battle of the Pitch" (introductory story line) – posted_


End file.
